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How do Spurs take the next step up?

walworthyid

David Ginola
Oct 25, 2004
7,059
10,242
It's obviously not a straight forward answer. But for me we need to strengthen in a few key areas.

Fullback- none of our fullbacks are good enough in my opinion and the biggest thing that has held us back this year has been the loss of pace and width in wide areas. Only rose is prepared to take his man on and even he cuts back inside half of the time.

Guile in the middle- we lack that Silva type of player that can find key passes centrally in advanced areas

Goals from out wide- we need more goal threat from wide areas on both sides not just Son.

Striker alternative- we desperately need an option to Kane. We need a different and effective option when Kane is not playing well.

Winners- our in game management on the pitch let's us down in the bigger games too often. Chelsea and Juve are examples of teams that can just lock a game down and become dogged. We have done it on occasion, but ultimately to win games we need to do it regularly.

My feeling is that we will go for it financially this year and I think that it is the right time. We are very very close. City would have won the league no matter what this year, but had we been at whl we would have ran them much closer.

I am sure excited about the summer and next season and believe that this really could be our big season.
 

ultimateloner

Well-Known Member
Jan 25, 2004
4,539
2,149
We need to strengthen the backline, CM and hope that Llorent will have a better season.
Continue stockpiling AMs; i think Lucas Moura was a great buy at 25m, and I think approaching Martial makes sense.
We need to be better tactically but that's alot easier said than done. I dont think we have the players to play a different style (e.g. like Chelsea)
 

CoopsieDeadpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2012
18,257
70,419
I'd argue that Adebayor was better than Berbatov anyway.

Sure people won't like this being said but give a fully focused fit Adebayor ahead of a fully focused fit Berbatov who left the club in a despicable way...yet still idolised.


05140a2c39ef18776024e819e794b58e240e33.jpg
 

CoopsieDeadpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2012
18,257
70,419
We need more depth and more options IMO. Too many games this season where teams sat back and we lacked ideas and struggled to break them down. We could really do with some different attacking players who can run with the ball for those sort of games I reckon. And just general squad depth. When Sissoko has played as many games as he has you know you need to get someone else in


I'm not picking you up on anything, so please don't take this as a dig at you or your post. :stop:.. It's more of an extension to the bit I made bold (y).

You (rightly) say we struggled & lacked ideas when teams sat back against us last season. I'd go further back, though. I'd say that's something we've struggled with since a certain Welsh lad left us back in 2013. So many times back then we'd be huffing and puffing against parked bus merchants, only for that Welsh kid to pop up with a last minute stroke of genius to once again gain us the 3 points we needed.

Ironically, there are now whispers that suggest there's a chance that the same Welsh kid, who has now matured and probably understands the game better than when he left, could make a return to THFC, thus (hopefully) solving this issue with teams that sit back, yet there are people who wouldn't want/take him back.

I don't get it.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
I'm not picking you up on anything, so please don't take this as a dig at you or your post. :stop:.. It's more of an extension to the bit I made bold (y).

You (rightly) say we struggled & lacked ideas when teams sat back against us last season. I'd go further back, though. I'd say that's something we've struggled with since a certain Welsh lad left us back in 2013. So many times back then we'd be huffing and puffing against parked bus merchants, only for that Welsh kid to pop up with a last minute stroke of genius to once again gain us the 3 points we needed.

Ironically, there are now whispers that suggest there's a chance that the same Welsh kid, who has now matured and probably understands the game better than when he left, could make a return to THFC, thus (hopefully) solving this issue with teams that sit back, yet there are people who wouldn't want/take him back.

I don't get it.

The simple answer to your question is that that player no longer exists. The Bale of those days is no more and instead there is a far inferior player with one of the worst injury records in Europe who we would need to completely blow up the financial stability of the club to sign. If we were signing 2013 Bale back I'd say where do we sign, but the fact is we wouldn't be.
 

CoopsieDeadpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2012
18,257
70,419
The simple answer to your question is that that player no longer exists. The Bale of those days is no more and instead there is a far inferior player with one of the worst injury records in Europe who we would need to completely blow up the financial stability of the club to sign. If we were signing 2013 Bale back I'd say where do we sign, but the fact is we wouldn't be.


Had that player been asked or instructed to play in the manner that he played when they bought him, I'd accept your very conclusive statement that said player no longer exists. However, since making the move, not only has that player not been asked to play in the manner in which he played whilst with us, he's been constantly played out of position and, like the rest of the Real Madrid squad, has to play puppet whilst Ronaldo pulls all the strings.

Get him back, ask him to play in the same manner in which he was asked to play before and ultimately got him the status as one of the very best. Then see if he fails. If he fails, I'll (begrudgingly) accept your conclusion about the players ability. Until that point, I'm sorry, you can not make that statement.

As for one of the worst injury records in Europe, I genuinely have no idea if that's true. Is it ? .. Appearances as follows.....

2013/14 - 27 League... 5 Cup... 12 Europe... - Total 44 Appearances
2014/15 - 31 League... 2 Cup... 10 Europe... - Total 48 Appearances
2015/16 - 23 League... 0 Cup... 8 Europe ... - Total 31 Appearances
2016/17 - 19 League... 0 Cup... 8 Europe ... - Total 27 Appearances
2017/18 - 26 League... 2 Cup... 6 Europe ... - Total 38 Appearances

TOTAL - 188 Appearances

One of the worst injury records in Europe :shifty:. In 5 seasons, I personally don't think that just shy of 200 appearances is too shabby :unsure:.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
Had that player been asked or instructed to play in the manner that he played when they bought him, I'd accept your very conclusive statement that said player no longer exists. However, since making the move, not only has that player not been asked to play in the manner in which he played whilst with us, he's been constantly played out of position and, like the rest of the Real Madrid squad, has to play puppet whilst Ronaldo pulls all the strings.

Get him back, ask him to play in the same manner in which he was asked to play before and ultimately got him the status as one of the very best. Then see if he fails. If he fails, I'll (begrudgingly) accept your conclusion about the players ability. Until that point, I'm sorry, you can not make that statement.

As for one of the worst injury records in Europe, I genuinely have no idea if that's true. Is it ? .. Appearances as follows.....

2013/14 - 27 League... 5 Cup... 12 Europe... - Total 44 Appearances
2014/15 - 31 League... 2 Cup... 10 Europe... - Total 48 Appearances
2015/16 - 23 League... 0 Cup... 8 Europe ... - Total 31 Appearances
2016/17 - 19 League... 0 Cup... 8 Europe ... - Total 27 Appearances
2017/18 - 26 League... 2 Cup... 6 Europe ... - Total 38 Appearances

TOTAL - 188 Appearances

One of the worst injury records in Europe :shifty:. In 5 seasons, I personally don't think that just shy of 200 appearances is too shabby :unsure:.

I appreciate he hasn't necessarily been set up to succeed there. But it's still incredibly optimistic to assume he can come back and do what he used to. Everything about him has changed, not least of all his physique, and the injuries have no doubt taken their toll on his body.

Worst injury record in Europe was just me being dramatic, I didn't mean it literally :D Even still though his injury record is terrible. You're basing it off appearances but how many of those were full appearances? His first couple of years were OK but the last 3 seasons he's only averaging the equivalent of 16 X 90 mins per season in La Liga. In those 3 seasons he's missed 55 games due to injury.

His current wages at Madrid are supposedly 350k/week after tax so it's more like 500k/week. Can we really afford to pay him those sort of figures if he's out so much? If anything the more injuries he's had, coupled with his age, he's going to be out progressively more if anything. It's all very well saying "If he fails, he fails" but given that our outlay on him would be hundreds of millions of pounds all in, I'm sorry but we can't afford to just brush it off like that. He's far more likely to be an expensive injury-riddled flop than he is to magically turn into his 2012/13 self again. I'm not saying it's impossible but it's far too likely to warrant the massively expensive gamble IMO
 

Graysonti

Well-Known Member
May 8, 2011
3,904
5,823
By not making every decision about £ and acting more like a football club first.

Every decision is about return for the shareholders.

With the news on Toby, I’m so glad I declined purchasing a ST at £1k plus.

There is no point as it’s just the same old, same old we have had for years on end.

Yawn.

As we are now customers and not supporters, I will act like one - nah, no thanks Levy.
 

SugarRay

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2011
7,984
11,110
I’ve got a horrible feeling we’re going into next season with a weaker first XI again.

Strengthened City before last season, now strengthening United before this one, both times at a cost to our starting XI.

Hard to feel anything other than short changed by it
 

CoopsieDeadpool

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2012
18,257
70,419
I’ve got a horrible feeling we’re going into next season with a weaker first XI again.

Strengthened City before last season, now strengthening United before this one, both times at a cost to our starting XI.

Hard to feel anything other than short changed by it


Why not wait to find out if we actually do strengthen a rival before getting on the phone to The Samaritans ?
 

Mullers

Unknown member
Jan 4, 2006
25,914
16,413
Signing Martial is a must especially if we are selling Man U, T.A. No Martial, no Toby as far as I'm concerned. Martial would be a terrific signing.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,985
81,902
Signing Martial is a must especially if we are selling Man U, T.A. No Martial, no Toby as far as I'm concerned. Martial would be a terrific signing.

Certainly the type of signing we need.

I think we are strong in all positions. A new centre mid aside I don’t think we are that in need of anything.

Real quality is what we are looking for.
 

freeeki

Arsehole.
Aug 5, 2008
11,835
69,424
Easy.

We sign De Ligt, Sessegnon, Martial, Pulisic and Kovacic.

Alongside Sanchez, Kane, Alli, Winks, we end up with the best young team in the world by a mile.

Then we win the league.

Duh.
 

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
I assume PL is the ultimate goal. If so, obvious question is, How do we make up 23 points to City ? Unfortunately, there is no obvious answer. Best way to look at this, is how Kane improves season on season - trying to find bits & pieces where we can improve.

I see following areas & ways to improve:

i) Address the defense. We conceded 9 more than City & 10 more conceded comparing to our 16/17 season. Toby is leaving. We need to improve overall and back to being best defensive unit in country. This will help us with atleast 8 to 10 points

ii) Dont play catch up in league which we always do. Do the transfer business early and have a settled preseason. Unfortunately this season will be worse given World cup involvement for most players

iii) Improve October to November - We can certainly get 5 to 8 additional points here if we have quality in depth.

iv) Sign a proper back up to Kane who can play alongisde or play for him if he is injured. Here there is some marginal gain

v) Home games will certainly help. Settle into new stadium at earliest.

vi) Be the 2nd best team in the league to City over the course. If by some luck they have a stumble or a meltdown be the team to use that opportunity.

We can certainly improve our points tally by 10 points, if we do even some of the above points.
 

spursfan77

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2005
46,679
104,956
Make sure the atmosphere in the new stadium is amazing and make it a place opposing teams hate to come to from the start.

Not the answer to the problem but it will definitely help.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
Certainly the type of signing we need.

I think we are strong in all positions. A new centre mid aside I don’t think we are that in need of anything.

Real quality is what we are looking for.

I think our first 11 is strong in most positions, notable exceptions being RB/RWB perhaps, but our main issue is we don't have the depth. We've got no real backup to Kane, Eriksen or Son and when Eriksen or Kane in particular are out, we suffer enormously.
 

idontgetit

Well-Known Member
Aug 21, 2011
14,404
30,802
Well we need leadership in the middle of defence to replace Toby. People just looked at Walker for his personal performance but didn't really appreciate what his pace and power did for the defence. Same with Toby, he's not just a top class performer but the whole defence plays better positionally when he's on song.

We also need to have world class CM coming through to replace Dembele. So that's two huge signings just to stand still.
 

ebzrascal

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2009
2,635
4,670
We need to be more aggressive and decisive in the transfer market for sure. Liverpool a club we can compete with financially are doing much better transfer business than us. We either get linked with players we can't get or players who are not up to it. Last few windows have been pretty shocking!
 

FreddieYid

Well-Known Member
Aug 1, 2011
1,369
4,020
Liverpool have moved very quickly in the transfer market, even with the CL final.

Already they’ve added Fabinho to the incoming Keita which gives their midfield a new look for next season. We need to be as decisive as they are being. With another defender and a GK (Alison) reportedly on their radar, they could be in very good shape going into the new campaign, especially if you factor in Salah missing the WC through injury.

It’s more important than ever that we move quickly this summer and add quality not quantity to the squad. If Toby’s going, then get it done early.
 
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